The dream was always the same.

The first thing, he could remember the only thing really. He was driving, couldn't remember the make of the car, it's color, not even what the radio was playing, or where he was going just that he needed to go there. The road was dark, sometimes it's a backroad, other times it's the highway.

While he was driving his phone rang, it was important to answer it. He couldn't remember who was on the other line or what was said just that it distracted him enough that he didn't see that he was in the wrong lane or the car heading for him. He panicked, jerked on the wheel to avoid the car there was a crash.

When he came to on grass everything hurt, he could barely breathe, he couldn't feel his legs either. His vision was blurry at the edges, he could see his phone some distance away if he could make it to his phone he could call for help.

Reaching out he dragged himself to his phone. Every inch he moved the pain he felt only got worse, stabbing at his sides like knives it hurt more than anything he ever felt. But it didn't matter as long as he reached his phone.

By the time he finally touched his phone he could barley think straight anymore. But when he looked at it the screen was cracked and blank. It most have broke in the crash.

With no chance left he turn to lay on his back. He looked down at his legs and immediately wished he didn't his legs were gone turn basically to pulp. He could even see the red bloody trail he left on the ground.

It wasn't fair he didn't deserve this. He didn't want to die. He tried to speak no words came out. In his mind he begged for someone to come save him.

This next part he could remember clearly.

As he laid there slowly bleeding out. He didn't want to die he knew he has to do something, he had to live no matter what. As if the universe was answering his prayers, some kind of portal open out of it walked a woman.

She was dressed in a suit with a fedora on her head. She walked towards him uncaring of the state of his body. He tried to speak but any words out of his mouth were just whispers and wet coughs. When she reached him, she kneeled down next to his head. She reached out and placed on a hand on his cheek, in the other she held a vial.

She looked him in his unfocused bleary eyes, in his better days he thinks of her as an angel come to save him. In his worst ones a devil that's come to dam him to hell. He's had a lot of worst days than better ones.

"Do you want to live?" she asked, staring down at the dying boy. "Yes or No."

"Yes." He cough out, the woman's face was blank emotionless, she took the vial in her hand and poured it down his mouth massaging his throat to get it down. It tasted terrible like liquid garbage but worst was as soon as it hit his stomach was the pain.

It felt like he was burning alive, his body stretched, bulged, and twisted. The pain was so great he couldn't think all that existed was the pain, a screamed was ripped from his mouth loud enough to be heard for miles.

The last thing he saw was the woman's face. Her was still blank but the look in her eyes as she stared at him like he was a lab rat. Before he could even think on that everything faded to black.

XxX

"Apex, are you paying attention?"

"Sorry Director, zoned out for a minute there." His voice was a mixture of human and something else.

Director Piggot was a large Caucasian woman with blonde hair done in a bob, she was wearing a drab dress suit. She was seated in the seat of a helicopter in her lap an open folder, across from her was what could possibly consider a Monster.

The Monster head looked like an organic helmet, his entire face was featureless the top half was black with red fins sticking outward. The lower part of his was a stark white. The top part of his body was made of the same black as his face, that part ended at his chest the rest was a red that covered most of his body ending at his waist and hands. his legs were black while his feet appeared humanlike. His finger were black and ended in tipped points. On his right hand was an Omega symbol, telling what he was a Case 53. His name was Apex, but it was John to his friends.

"I what to know if the information in this file about your abilities were correct." She asked, with her hand on the folder with his profile.

"Yes Ma'am, it all pretty accurate why are you asking me?" he wondered.

"It's best to hear from the person about this-" she looked down at his folder and began reading out load what it said there. "-You have been labeled with ratings in Changer, Blaster, Brute, Thinker, and Mover-." She looked at him an eyebrow raised. "- Care to explain all of this."

"Well, Brute is easy I'm really strong and can pretty much regenerate anything short of my head. For Changer I can grow wings and a tail, I can also grow taller and bigger when I do that I become even stronger. For Blaster I have these vents in my legs, arms and my back. They expel a flame that I can use as a booster to hit harder and fly faster. Thinker because I have really enhanced senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Mover Because of the flying and my running speed is around 70mph." He ticked off the list of his powers on his hand.

"Hm, and hear I thought that this was overstating your abilities. Good I'm sure you read up on the situation here on the airplane ride here, correct." She closed her folder to focus on him.

"Yes Ma'am." He answered her, waving his own folder. "You're understaffed, outgunned and the situation is one of the worse you could be in, right?"

"That is the long and short of it yes." She nodded before leaning back and taking a deep breath before continuing. " We lost Three Parahumans to Leviathan, the situation in the city is deteriorating worse everyday. People are panicking and terrified." She again leaned forward placing her hands in front of her face. "We have to take control of the city back from the chaos, Apex."

"Got it Ma'am, but I have to ask why did you want me of all people here?" he asked her as he looked out to the city. It was a depressing sight it was early and the sun was rising, but all that did was show the damage and hardship the city's been through.

"Do you know the biggest complaint against you from your last Director was?" she answered his question with a question.

"I'm to scary, I look like a monster, people are afraid of me." He looked up as he remembered peoples reaction to him. They mostly screamed in fear civilians, villains, and heroes alike.

"Yes, that's exactly it." She smiled, one that promised violence. " What I need right now isn't a pretty face, what I need is a show of force that's you. I need you to terrify." She pointed at him. There conversation ended as they landed at the helipad on top of the PRT HQ. They disembarked and head inside. " Now let's introduce you to your new teammates."

XxX

The elevator was quite on the way down. It open to a long hallway walking through it he came to a security terminal. Opening it reveled a room that appeared to be his new living space inside it was his new team, some in their costumes and all unmasked. According to his files.

The one in white with clocks covering it was Clockblocker, he was on a computer. He had red hair and freckles, he was also staring a the computer like he wanted to kill it. His helmet was at his feet.

The only other guy was at a table tinkering with what looked like a kids fake Sci-Fi gun. That is probably Kid Win, he had brown hair and normal looking he was dressed in normal clothes and looked to be half asleep.

The black girl fiddling with a crossbow and sitting in a couch, was most likely Shadow Stalker. She was also in costume, she looked like she wanted nothing more than to leave and go on patrol.

The final occupant was a blond hair girl in a ponytail chances are that was Vista. She hand a couple of bandages around her hands still a little bloody her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying a lot recently.

As soon as the door finished opening and Apex step in, they took one look at him stop what they were doing. And jumped up like they were going to attack him.

Shadow Stalker aimed her crossbow at him.

Kid Win picked up his gun to turn its sights on Apex.

Space changed and bended around Vista.

Clockblocker got ready to charge him.

Apex raised his hands, before he chuckled.

"Hi Guys, I'm your new leader Apex, but you all can call me John."